The effects that a US military embargo would have on the Spanish Armed Forces

The shameful position of Pedro Sánchez's government in international politics may begin to have very serious effects for Spain.

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After condemning the intervention of the United States and Israel against the Iranian dictatorship, and following a threat issued by the Iranian ambassador against Spain, implying that our country could be a military target of Iran if it collaborates with this US military operation, Pedro Sánchez vetoed the use of the Rota and Morón bases by the United States. This is a betrayal of Spain's greatest ally at a time when the United States is trying to overthrow a terrorist regime that has massacred tens of thousands of people for demanding freedom, and which in recent days has attacked Israel, Cyprus, and several Arab countries in the region. Once again, Sánchez has chosen to turn against our allies, and such disloyalty always comes at a price.

In response to Sánchez's veto, Donald Trump has threatened trade retaliation and even mentioned the possibility of an embargo, after lamenting the Spanish government's position: "Spain has absolutely nothing we need, except great people. They have great people, but they lack great leadership," the US president stated. The position of the Spanish government has nothing to do with peace or international law. Sánchez is looking for smokescreens to grab headlines and cover up his corruption scandals. Furthermore, his government has the Chinese communist dictatorship as a strategic partner and has been playing at creating tensions within NATO to please his far-left allies, who are openly hostile to the Atlantic Alliance and the United States.

From a defense perspective, one of the questions that should be asked at this time is: what effects would a US military embargo have on the Spanish Armed Forces? The short answer would be that it would have very serious effects that would compromise national defense and the Spanish defense industry. The United States is a key supplier of defense systems used by Spain, in addition to contributing considerably to the country's defense through the missile shield at the Rota Naval Base, a joint-use base between the two countries, as is the Morón Air Base.

In the short term, many Spanish weapons systems would see their operational availability decline, as they depend on spare parts from the United States. These systems would include the 81 EF-18 Hornet fighter jets, which form the backbone of Spanish air defense. They are US-made aircraft. At the end of December, the US authorized the sale of a logistics package for these fighter jets for $200 million, a contract that guarantees the current and future operational readiness of these aircraft. A logistical package that affects the engines and radars of those aircraft.

If the United States were to impose a military embargo on Spain, the EF-18s wouldn't be the only aircraft affected. The TAI Hurjet training aircraft purchased by Spain from Turkey have General Electric F404 engines manufactured in the USA (the same engine used by the EF-18M). Finding a new engine would be neither easy nor cheap.

Another system at risk would be the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones. The Spanish Air Force's 23rd Wing operates four of these unmanned aerial vehicles, which are manufactured in the United States. They are the largest military drones operated by Spain, playing a crucial role in reconnaissance operations. With a US embargo, they would soon become extremely expensive paperweights. The Air Force would also lose the option of purchasing AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, both manufactured in the US (although European alternatives exist). Similarly, both the Air Force and the Navy would see their Harpoon anti-ship missiles, manufactured by Boeing in the United States, and their AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, compromised.

Other aircraft that could experience problems are the C-295 transport planes, as each one is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100 turboprop engines. Pratt & Whitney Canada is a Canadian subsidiary of the American company Pratt & Whitney.

To obtain spare parts, Spain would have to cannibalize some weapons systems, that is, decommission them to use them as sources of parts for those still in service. Some systems would have critical problems, such as the MIM-104 Patriot air defense system, manufactured in the US and crucial for protecting our airspace from ballistic missile attacks.

Our naval force would be particularly harmed by a US embargo. The Spanish F-100 frigates belong to a select group of operators of the AEGIS defense system, manufactured by Lockheed Martin in the United States. It is the same system that is planned for the new F-110 frigates. A US embargo would not only seriously affect the operational readiness of these ships, which are among Spain's most important naval combat units, but would also jeopardize their sales to other countries, since the Spanish company Navantia needs AEGIS and other US-made components for these vessels.

The Spanish Navy's Harrier II fighters could also face problems. They are in their final years of operational service, and one of the very few sources of spare parts Spain has for these aircraft is the United States, where the Marines plan to retire their Harrier IIs next June. Spain could be left with carrier-based fighters sooner than expected, as the current government has declined to purchase the F-35B to replace them.

The Spanish Navy's SH-60B and SH-60F helicopters would also suffer the consequences. They are manufactured by the American company Sikorsky, and our ally plays a fundamental role in keeping them operational. The future MH-60R Seahawks would not even be delivered, leaving the Navy with SH-60Bs nearing the end of their operational life and no replacement in sight.

Furthermore, the Spanish Army could face problems with its M-109A5E self-propelled howitzers and M-113 armored personnel carriers. The latter are being progressively replaced by the VCR Dragón, but Spain still maintains a considerable fleet of M-113s. Spain does not yet have a replacement in sight for the M-109A5E.

One of the aspects in which Spain would be especially harmed by a US embargo would not affect materials, but something just as or even more important: Spain has enormous independence from the US in intelligence matters, and losing that alliance could leave our country seriously exposed in that area.

Finally, one must ask what sense does it make to jeopardize our national security and our defense industry in this way, so that a minority government, formed by two parties that lost the last elections, can remain in power by generating tensions with our allies and degrading our ties with them. We Spaniards have the right to decide if we want Sánchez to lead us down this path. The demand for elections is growing stronger as the current Spanish government displays increasing weakness and disregard for national interests.

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Main photo: Estado Mayor de la Defensa. The frigate "Almirante Juan de Borbón" F-102.